National Republican., 1887-02-23
OUTRAGFs IN TENAs.
Tho chief Defendant Under Exami aa-
observation-disclosures OstracIsm, &c.

tion-IntImidatIon,O Ostracism, SC.
Judge Lafayette Kirk, county Judge Of
Washington county, Texas, was examined
by the Texas committee yesterday. Judge
Kirk has acted since the investigation be-
gan as one Of the counsel for the Demo.
cratic side, and the course Of previous tcsti-
mony has seemed TO put him In the position
OF chief defendant In the case. IL was he
who was charged with having visited Flew
ellyn precinct, where the votes were being
counted, about half an hour before the
raiders entered on which occasion DE.
wees Bolton wns killed; aud II was he who,
In the indignation meeting AZ Brenham, In
troduced the resolution requiring certain
Republicans to cease certain line OF con-
duct or leave the county. lie was exam
ined by Senator Spoouer, and the colo
quies were at times very spirited.
Witness was Gsked as to kilograms
he sent on election day. lie admitted that
lie had caused one 10 bc sent and then re-
membered that he had also sent one himself.
This wns addressed to ID. ID. Bolton, father
OF DeweCs Bolton, who was killed at Flew
ellyn's. ID. ID. Bolton was fellow caudi-
date on the peoples ticket with Judge Kirk.
To the best OF witness' recollection his tele-
gram was to the effect that "thiDgs looked
bad" at BRENNAN. lie did not remember
that the words "do your work. were added.
To the very bcst OF his recollection they
were not. The examination upon this point
became very earnest, and Senator Spooner's
questions were put with great rapidity and
In every conceivable form to elicit positive
declaration one way or the other.
Witness finally said he was not positive
| that he did not send such telegram.
Mr.. Spooner with severity. "Are you
willing to have these kilograms produced
before this commltteP 2"
Witness. ~ have no objection to having
them produced II the committee has
Mr.. spooner trlsing and placing before
witness a pad OF paper). swell, sir, have you
any objection to writing an order to the
| Western Union Telegraph Company TO de-
| liver up these kilograms"
| Witness. "I think the committee can
write that order, sir, II they want to do it.n
| "You are not anxious, then, to have the
committee get"
Senator Eustis interrupting). 81 would
certainly not advise the witness to do it.n
Witness. "The committee has a process
| and CAM
Mr.. Spooner. 1--WE will take care OF that
branch Of the case"
The witness further testified that, having
| been called on several times to speak, he,
declared in substance that If certain men,
naming Hackworth, Moore, Glider, Potter
Lockett, and Schuetze, did not ceaso their
| course OF action, committee should be
formed to visit them and request them to
leave the county. Their course had been
designed to arouse the passions and preju-
diees OF the cOlored people against the
whites. Witness had been informed that
Potter had declared himself Ia favor of
| aiming the negroes to shoot white men Mt
the ballot box. Potter had since disavowed
this, but witness did not know It at the
time. He only knew Bolton had been
| killed.
The white leaders tried to intimidate the
negroes-"theyw would bring social influence
to bear on the other negroes and would os.
tracise any negro who wanted to support
the peoples ticket.n Coming down to the
matter Of threatening letters sent to various
parties, witness testified to receiving such Il
letter and to being shown others by negroes
who voted the people's ticket.
The cross examination In regard to county
mismanagement was quite close. Witness
testified that there had been but two defal-
cations In the county during the period since
the war when Republicans were In power,
but that five or six indictments had been
found against different Republican officials.
In answer to request from Senator
Evarts for some samples" Of social ostra-
cism practiced against negroes supporting
the Democratic ticket by Republican ne.
groes, witness gave number Of instances
wherein the Republican negroes had
laughed and jeered at the other negroes,
accusing them Of selling out, bootlicking
the white people. They would say, "There
goes Democratic nigger; he helped to
hang the negroes lynched, and knows all
about It," The feeling was very bitter and
extended to the negroes wives and chill
dren, who applied the same epithets to the
wives and children that the men applied to
the others.
Senator Evarts. "Are these the severest
instances Of ostracism you know Of per-
sonallyy''
Witness. ayes. SIR"
Witness believed the threatening letter
sent to him was the work Of some "polit--
| zeal enemyu